Todd's Christmas Cake

Forget those fancy fruitcakes nobody actually eats. This is the Christmas cake people fight over.

The batter is almost comically simple: eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. But the mix-ins are where Todd went all in. Dates, cherries, walnuts, and chocolate chips get folded into that batter until the “goodies” far outnumber the cake itself.

Baked low and slow, it emerges with a firm golden crust and a dense, chewy interior studded with fruit, nuts, and melty pockets of chocolate.

Line the pan with foil instead of wax paper and the whole loaf wraps right up as a gift. That’s the kind of practical holiday baking wisdom you can’t find in a fancy cookbook.

Kitchen Tips

• Whip those eggs well before adding them. They’re doing most of the leavening work alongside the baking powder, so beat them until they’re light and frothy.
• The toothpick test works differently here. You’ll get melted chocolate on the pick no matter what. You’re checking that the batter itself isn’t wet or doughy.
• Foil-lining the pan is genius for gift-giving. Once cool, just fold the foil over and tie with a ribbon.